Nvidia to release GPU PhysX pack next week

It looks like Nvidia is all set to add PhysX support to several lines of its graphics cards as soon as next week. This according to the folks over at The Tech Report, who took a GeForce 8800 GT-powered desktop system paired with unreleased ForceWare 177.79 beta drivers for a first look at how does Nvidias PhysX-on-GPU implementation actually affect graphics quality and performance.

Despite a few bugs here and there the tests came out pretty well, though turning on the flashy PhysX effects will unavoidably cost you several frames of performance. The new driver pack will debut on August 12, allowing owners of most GeForce 8, 9, and GTX 200-series cards to use PhysX acceleration without spending a dime. The pack will not only include WHQL drivers, but also various PhysX demos and free Unreal Tournament 3 maps.